"Yes we can!" The slogan inspired a grassroots movement that swept the first African American president to the White House. The Bay Area erupted with spontaneous street celebrations almost worthy of Brazil winning the soccer world cup.

Is this powerful grassroots movement finished with its work? No. Now that we have the opportunity, we must define in clearer terms what it is that we can do. And must do. California's unemployment rate is reaching 8%. The latest climate change science indicates that even the most aggressive targets proposed in global negotiations are not nearly strong enough. One recent study even suggests that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8% a year in order to realistically have a change at stabilizing our climate for our children — a target in which California's current climate action plan would only make a dent.

We need a New Green Deal for local sustainability infrastructure and investment in green collar job training to build it. We need to continue advocating for stronger policies at both the state and federal level ... and we can start doing what must be done ourselves, right now, at home and in our communities. Localization offers a powerful framework of thought for dramatically decreasing greenhouse gas emissions while nurturing a more sustainable local economy. Successful, effective local actions have a national impact — the nation is watching California's innovations.

Here at Bay Localize, we invite you to enter this holiday season with hope in your hearts and renewed fire for change in your bellies. Yes, we still can. Innovators in the Bay Area are pioneering best practices in how to live within our ecological means while strengthening community resilience. Join Bay Localize and the localization movement in this joyous and fruitful endeavor. We hope you enjoy these updates on the Bay Area's localization movement, find ways you'd like to plug and support this work, and wish you a hopeful and inspired holiday season.

Yours in community,

—Aaron, Allyse, Dave, Ingrid, Kirsten, and Nile

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In This Issue

• Bay Area 2020 Program Hosts Local Food Caucus
• Speak Up on CA's Climate Action Plan
• Localization News from Around the Bay
• Community Choice in Peril in the East Bay + Local Clean Energy Updates
• Rooftop Technologies Reaching Critical Mass
• Events Roundup: Upcoming and Recent
• Support Bay Localize!

Bay Area 2020: A Clear Vision for a Resilient Bay Area

The Bay Area 2020 Program is steaming ahead bringing localization advocates together throughout the Bay Area to chart a clear pathway to a more resilient region in the coming decade.

On November 18, Bay Localize was proud to host the next in its series of regional localization caucuses, "Making Local Food a Reality: Procurement & Policy Opportunities for the Bay Area." Together with co-sponsors Community Alliance for Family Farmers (CAFF) and ICLEI, and Bon Appetit, the event brought together local farmers, institutional food service managers, chefs, legislative aides, and government representatives.

The event showcased best practices in local food sourcing policies for both the private and public sector institutions around the Bay Area and highlighted available resources, including non-profits, consultants, and local food distributors. Presentations and conversations focused on county-specific opportunities to move local food policies forward and how to build upon the general interest from Slow Food Nation and Local Food Month. Detailed notes including best practices, models and ideas from the event are available here.

The development of the Community Resilience Toolkit and workshop series continues with input from key partners, including city staff interested in using it to develop community action plans for city climate action plans. Also, special thanks to Bay Localize intern Ahmina James of Berkeley High for her insights in workshop planning for youth! If you are interested in piloting a community resilience workshop with your group, contact Kirsten.

Make Your Voice Heard on California's Climate Action Plan!

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is accepting comments on its Proposed Scoping Plan for implementing the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), which requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Comments are being accepted through December 10 at noon. Sending in comments sooner is better.

Check out the plan and submit your comments at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/scopingplan/document/scopingplandocument.htm

We need the state to take bold action with this plan, and we encourage all individuals and organizations to submit at least some commentary. You are also welcome to simply send in a message of support for Bay Localize's comments (our letter to CARB can be found here).

Bay Localize's comments support the Environmental Justice community in advocating for a carbon fee-based system instead of a risky and unproven cap-and-trade system. If a cap-and-trade system is implemented, we call on CARB to not give away credits to polluters, auction all credits, and not include offsets in the trading system. Bay Localize is also calling for full finding for local and regional public transportation systems. There are also many great ideas in the plan we support, such as feed-in tariffs, grey water systems, and funding for workforce development!

Localization News from Around the Bay

Congratulations and kudos to localization advocates around the Bay Area who have made the following victories and programs possible:

North Bay
Marin County moved closer to its goal of offering 100% renewable energy when it formed a Joint Powers Agreement to implement a Community Choice program known as Marin Clean Energy. The County hopes a number of cities will join the agreement. If you live in Marin County, especially San Rafael, call your councilmembers and urge them to sign on!

Sonoma County launched its Climate Action Plan, one of the most ambitious and comprehensive country-wide plans to date.

East Bay
East Bay voters passed Measure VV, which directs increased funding to public transportation, averting an AC Transit rate hike at least for now.

Richmond voters also passed Measure T, which directs large businesses such as the Chevron refinery to pay additional taxes to help support city services and infrastructure. This will help Richmond implement its new general plan and its climate action planning process, as well as other city services.

South Bay
The Palo Alto-based nonprofit Acterra is building on its success implementing the Green Team Program, which helps residents reduce their solid waste, home chemicals, energy, water and auto fuel consumption ... while having fun, building community, and saving money!

Peninsula and San Francisco
In San Franscisco, PG&E spent a record 10 million dollars to defeat Prop H, a grassroots initiative in support of renewable energy. Think what 10 million dollars could have done for insulating low-income homes in the region! Seriously outspent activists have vowed to keep organizing for clean local power.

Community Choice in Peril in the East Bay

Although the Local Clean Energy Alliance has had some recent organizing successes, staff in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville are seeking to end further consideration of Community Choice Energy. About a month ago, the East Bay Cities Community Choice business plan was released containing only a limited analysis of the promise of the program (read the plan here). Only days after its release, the staff urged the cities to accept the flawed report and to reallocate funds set aside for Community Choice to other programs. Subsequently, the Emeryville Council voted to not pursue Community Choice at this time.

VICTORY IN BERKELEY AND OAKLAND! We rallied the troops to the October Berkeley Energy Commission meeting and they unanimously voted not to make a recommendation to the Berkeley City Council until they had sufficient time to review the business plan and report. We rallied folks to the Oakland Public Works Commission meeting and under the leadership of Councilmember Nancy Nadel, the committee unanimously agreed to postpone any decision on Community Choice and urged the Oakland City Council to schedule a joint workshop on the policy with Berkeley and Emeryville. The committee also submitted 20 questions for staff to answer at the December Public Works meeting.

SPEAK OUT FOR COMMUNITY CHOICE ON DECEMBER 9! The Oakland City Council will take up the issue of scheduling a joint council workshop at its meeting on December 9. Once again, we need to show up in force and demand that the city set up a intercity workshop for Community Choice Energy that includes technical review, council education, and public input. Regardless of what happens with Community Choice, such a workshop will give us all a greater understanding of the levers that can be used to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy and their overall potential in Oakland. We will also get a much better understanding of PG&E's proposition, especially what they are offering beyond what they would have to do anyway and what goals they will stand by with respect to energy efficiency, renewable energy, greenhouse gas reductions, and green jobs. Please let Jan know if you can join us at for the Oakland City Council meeting at 6 pm on December 9.

BERKELEY AND OAKLAND RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES - TAKE ACTION NOW! Please contact your city councilmembers and let them know that you support a joint workshop between Berkeley and Oakland to better understand the Community Choice opportunity and how it can bring energy efficiency, renewable energy, greenhouse gas reductions, and green jobs to your city. Please let Jan know of your communications with your city councilmember.

Berkeley Climate Action Plan Update

The revised Berkeley Climate Action Plan is now available for your review and comment. This version has a greater focus on transportation and land use than the previous one. The public comment period has been extended to January 16. Community Choice is presented alongside working more closely with PG&E as potential ways to green the electricity supply. The Local Clean Energy Alliance will be submitting comments that strengthen the Community Choice section. Download the plan and give them your comments.

Locavolts Unite! 2008 Bay Area Clean Energy Caucus

About 80 clean energy enthusiasts gathered in Freedom Hall of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco on November 13 for Locavolts Unite! The First Annual Bay Area Clean Energy Caucus. The evening began with an impassioned speech by San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkirimi on the need for a political U-turn in terms of renewable energy and the environment. Following Ross were 13 four-minute briefings on clean energy initiatives in the Bay Area. The latter half of the evening was filled with two 30-minute topical breakout sessions.

Participants said they got a sense of the depth and rich variety of clean energy initiatives underway throughout the Bay Area and met others to partner with on their own sustainable energy work. The event was sponsored by Sunlight & Power and the Local Clean Energy Alliance. Food and beverages were provided by Rainbow Grocery Coop and Adina. For more information, see the Caucus Notes.

Solar Richmond Live Installation Tour

On November 14, about 40 people attended a live solar installation on a low-income Richmond home involving Solar Richmond graduates. The tour featured speakers from Solar Richmond, Richmond BUILD, Grid Alternatives, the graduating class, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and the Local Clean Energy Alliance. The graduates were mounting panels on the roof during the tour and were very excited about the possibilities of a career in solar (see photo at left).

More Redevelopment Solar Projects On the Way

Over the weekend of November 21-23, Grid Alternatives completed installation of what may be the first Oakland solar photovoltaic array ever financed with redevelopment dollars. In early December, the second of two such installations will be finished in the same North Oakland Redevelopment Area. Meanwhile, the solar fire has spread to a West Oakland Redevelopment Area, where a second Project Advisory Committee recently approved a $48,000 grant to help finance at least four more solar projects in that redevelopment area. All these solar installations are preceded by the completion of basic energy efficiency measures. The acorn of sustainable redevelopment is planted. Stay tuned for further growth stages.

Rooftop Technologies Reaching Critical Mass around the Bay

The Bay Area is reaching a critical mass of interest in the development of appropriate rooftop technologies. Professionals and public officials in the field speculate that we are on the verge of a tipping point toward greater adoption and implementation.

In late November, Ingrid Severson, Babak Tondre, and Gabrielle Fladd led a Rainwater Harvesting Workshop at Berkeley's EcoHouse that drew over 40 people. In one day, participants successfully implemented a 1,100 gallon tank donated by American Tank Company, and a rain garden in the front yard. This modest 2 bedroom house has a total of 833 square feet of roof surface. The north facing roof (390 sq. ft.) will generate 5,577 gallons of water while the front northeast and west facing rooftop surface (443 sq. ft.) will generate 3,314 gallons of rainwater for the front yard (the rain garden formula is based on a 1" storm and Brad Lancaster model of calculations). The Ecohouse is one of the only residences in the Bay Area that will contain 100% of its stormwater runoff onsite.

We expect to see many more rainwater catchment systems in the coming years with the initiatives and guidance of the national clearinghouse American Rainwater Catchment Association (ARCSA). Earlier this year ARCSA initiated an educational workshop series and accreditation program for Rainwater Catchment Systems Professionals. Bay Localize joined a team of Bay Area rain harvesting professionals and enthusiasts for the ARCSA 2008 Annual Conference: Water - The New California Gold Rush in Santa Monica. Bay Localize is joining with Elizabeth Dougherty and other ARCSA members to start a Northern California ARCSA Chapter. An initial planning meeting will take place mid-December to craft the structure and objectives for the chapter. Contact Ingrid Severson if you are interested in joining this initiative.

In other positive rainwater catchment news, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has initiated a "downspout disconnection" permitting process, which opens a more streamlined process for hooking up rainwater catchment systems within the city. Bay Localize applauds DIG Cooperative owner John Russell for working with the SFPUC to shift the stringent engineering authorization requirements to an ARCSA-accredited professional to approve rainwater catchment systems.

Earlier this fall, Bay Localize was proud to be part of the "Graze the Roof" Garden reception at San Francisco's Glide Memorial, where hundreds celebrated the completion of this incredible, edible rooftop garden. Bay Localize joined Green For All and other community groups and professionals in a lively evening of presentations, rooftop tours and revelry. We are thrilled to see the Glide Memorial continue the roof garden with former intern Maya Donelson as a compensated coordinator of the program. See a full description of the Glide Roof Garden project.

New Bay Localize Release! Use Your Roof Guidebook

Rooftop revolutionaries rejoice! Check out Bay Localize's long-awaited new publication, Use Your Roof Guidebook: Resources and Considerations for Rainwater Catchment, Living Roofs and Solar Power.

The booklet draws from the groundbreaking research of Tapping the Potential of Urban Rooftops, as well as other research findings from the field, and offers guidelines for selecting an appropriate rooftop system and embarking on the design and implementation process. Download the Use Your Guidebook from our website, or support our work by donating $6 for your own soft cover copy of the booklet. Contact Ingrid for further details.

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Events Roundup: Upcoming and Recent Activities

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Bay Localize Holiday Party!
  December 10, 7 pm
  434 14th Street (at Broadway), Oakland
  Friends, family, and allies are invited to join Bay Localize at our Oakland office to celebrate this year's victories and recharge for the coming year. Light fare and merriment provided, but potluck contributions are also appreciated.
• Eco Holiday SF
  December 14, 11 am 8 pm
  The Galleria / SF Design Center, 101 Henry Adams St., San Francisco
  Join the Urban Alliance for Sustainability for a green, local shopping experience miles away from the typical holiday insanity. Small local businesses and designers will offer their wares for sale, local bands will offer their beats, and spontaneous revelry is expected.

Look for announcements of other upcoming gatherings on our website.

RECENT EVENTS:

Fall has been another exciting season of community action for Bay Localize!

Working with journalist Erica Etelson, philanthropist Jonathan Frieman, among others, Bay Localize helped organize a Bay Area Funders' Forum on Energy Scarcity on September 15. The forum was produced by the Tides Foundation, the JoMiJo Foundation and the Bay Area Peak Oil Task Forces. The forum featured Post Carbon Institute Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg, Oakland City Councilmember Nancy Nadel, David Fridley of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Jeff Ritterman, Chief of Cardiology at Kaiser Permanente, and David Room and Kirsten Schwind of Bay Localize.

On November 5, Dave Room spoke about the recommendations of the Oil Independent Oakland Task Force at City of Oakland's Environmental Lecture Series. Dave discussed how this work can help guide Oakland to become much less dependent on oil in the next several decades. He focused on reconfiguring the city and improving public transit planning to reduce the need for private automobiles. About 75 Oakland staff attended the presentation, which received highly positive written feedback.

Volunteer with Bay Localize!

Are you interested in donating your time to your community and the environment in a meaningful way? Bay Localize needs steady, dedicated volunteers to help with office work and other projects. Come join us in our lively, friendly office in downtown Oakland right next to BART, to make the world a better place for future generations. We welcome seniors! Afternoon hours preferred. Please send your letter of interest and resume to kirsten@baylocalize.org with "Volunteer Application" in the subject line, or call us at (510) 318-0610.

Have a Computer to Donate?

Reuse is even better than recycling, and we can offer your old computer a good home! Pentium 4 processors and newer, receipts for tax write-offs available. Contact kirsten@baylocalize.org or call (510) 318-0160. We are interested in laser printers, LCD monitors, fax machines, and photocopiers as well. Thank you for your generosity!

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436 14th Street, Suite 1127
Oakland, CA 94612

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Bay Localize
436 14th Street, Suite 1127
Oakland, CA 94612 USA
(510) 834-0420
Web: http://www.baylocalize.org